


His Father's Shadow

by meltypop



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Pre-Canon, for most of it anyway, he doesn't show it very well, like he still loves adrien but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23176465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltypop/pseuds/meltypop
Summary: Adrien loved his father, he really did, despite his overbearing, critical nature and his eccentricity. Sometimes, however, he couldn't help but long for the chance to be his own person.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nathalie Sancoeur, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

"Mom, Mom! Look at this one!" Clutching a crude, childish drawing, Adrien quickly padded over to his mother, his socked feet almost slipping on the tiled floor.  
Another mom may have scolded him for how hard he tugged on her outlandishly expensive Italian blouse, but not Emile.

"Oh, honey, it's beautiful," She cooed, moving a piece of his hair behind his ears. It wasn't, and even at Adrien's age he knew this. She was just being a mom. The picture of a colorful parrot perched on a palm tree (on an island, like the one his mother promised to take him to one day), may have been a very crude representation, but it was the most time he'd ever spent on a single drawing and he was surely proud of it.

"It's the best one I've done all day, mom!"

"It certainly is," Emile giggled, "Why don't you go show your father?"  
Adrien paused, his smile faltering slightly. He loved his dad enormously, but his dad didn't always… like everything that Adrien did, not like his mother seemed to, anyway.  
Then again, if there was one thing his dad actually liked, it was art, so maybe he would actually be interested.

With that uplifting thought, he plodded up the stairs to his father's study.

"Hello, Adrien." Nathalie was as stoic as ever, but there was a slight twinkle in her eye as she saw the young boy. "I'm afraid your father is very busy right now, but I'm sure Mrs. Agreste would love to spend some time with you downstairs.”

“I was just down there, I wanted to show dad something!”

His father sighed, swiveling around in his chair, “I suppose I can spare a few moments. What is it, son?”

“Look!” Adrien displayed his masterpiece proudly, “I think it’s the best one I’ve ever done and mom thinks so too!”

“It’s quite nice, Adrien.” For a moment, it looked like Nathalie was giving him one of the same warm smiles he often got from his mother, but it was gone when he blinked.

His father, on the other hand, didn’t react the way he expected. In fact, he didn’t really seem to react at all, at least not in his face. “Hmm… Yes, it’s definitely an improvement from the others you’ve shown me, however…” Gabriel grabbed a blue colored pencil that he was currently using to shade an asymmetrical top in his own sketchbook, and ran it over the edges of the parrot with a sort of effortless finesse that only a professional artist has, creating a type of curvature that Adrien was not yet able to transfer from brain to paper. 

“The feathers lay like this, they don’t just jut out in a straight line, Adrien. Your use of color is improving however.” Gabriel then smiled at him with a rare, ephemeral warmth, momentarily allowing a calloused palm to rest on the top of his head. “Keep working at it, Adrien, perhaps you could become a decent artist one day. Now, if you don’t mind, I must return to my work.”

Nathalie ushered him into the hallway, where he stood for a few moments, silently studying the drawing. It was better now, much better. Of course it was, his father was the best artist in all of Paris, maybe even the world, maybe even the universe! But Adrien no longer felt any joy when he looked at his drawing. It was better, yes, but it wasn’t his doing. In his young mind, it wasn’t really his drawing anymore. So he stowed that part of himself away in his desk drawer, never to touch it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the first chapter of my first story  
> Any feedback, positive or negative, is very much welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien genuinely enjoyed playing the piano. He couldn’t say the same for a lot of the things he was forced to do with his limited time. Sometimes, when he was playing, it was like the world around him disappeared. Instead of his cold, expansive bedroom, he could imagine himself being anywhere he wanted to be, with the song he was playing as the backdrop. 

He had been lonely lately, extremely so. His mother, who often admittedly felt like one of his only friends (being homeschooled and all), had been sick lately. At first it had seemed like some kind of mild respiratory illness. She had a bit of a cough, and the occasional slight spell of vertigo, but was otherwise fine. Then the coughing started to get worse, and the dizzy spells became longer and more frequent. She began going to bed early and waking up late until it happened almost every day, often leaving him to eat both breakfast and dinner alone with Nathalie. He didn’t blame her at all, she couldn’t help being sick, but the combination of her absence, his father’s standoffishness, and Nathalie being, well, Nathalie, was really starting to grate on him. He was still a happy kid, but sometimes, he felt like he needed a pick me up.

He found it online, in the form of piano tutorials. He liked classical music, sure, but his father's tastes were always so somber. He spent some time looking at ragtime, as well as piano versions of upbeat dance music, and he was hooked. Piano practice had become his favorite time of day. He would wait until he knew Nathalie was out of earshot and play his heart out, imagining himself having a wonderful time playing for his mom, or Chloe, or even the friends that he so desperately wished he had. 

His fun ended abruptly in a few weeks when his father came to observe his piano skills, asking him to play the complex classical pieces that he had picked out for him to practice in prior months. Adrien bombed almost immediately, having not practiced them much at all, and his father demanded to know why.

“Well… actually, dad, I haven’t been that into classical stuff lately, so I’ve been playing more-”

“Adrien,” His father cut him off, “This isn’t about what you are 'into', these pieces are classical works of art that I have picked out for you because I am aiming to build your technical skill. Not everything is about fun and games, son, I am trying to make you into the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.”

Adrien wasn’t quite sure what his father’s "perfect" version of him would look like, but in that moment he knew it was nothing like the future he truly wanted for himself.

“Won’t you at least listen to it?” He asked meekly, despite it all, hoping on the off chance that a bit of fun could thaw his father’s heart, even just a little.

His father didn’t even respond to that. “I expect you to be able to play the songs I’ve chosen for you by the end of the month.”

This pushed Adrien over the tipping point, and in a rare show of rage, he knocked all of the classical sheet music his father had given him to the ground. “No.”

“‘No’? What do you mean ‘no’? Pick those up this instant. What is the meaning of this childish behavior, Adrien?”

“I already told you, I don’t want to play that stuff anymore! It’s all gloomy, I want to play happy stuff, I’m better at it anyway! Just listen, I can-”

“No, Adrien! That is not what I want you to do! Do as I say, and do not argue!”

“Fine, then you don’t have to listen to me play ever again!” Adrien screeched, angrier than he’d ever been, “I’ll go show Mom, at least she’ll actually be proud of m-”

“No! Don’t!” His father barked, a sudden, primal demand that didn’t invite questions. “She…” His features softened, and something not unlike remorse seemed to flash through his eyes as the subject of his wife’s illness was breached, “She’s not feeling well right now, Adrien. Please do not bother her, she needs her rest.” 

Adrien’s face fell and Gabriel cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure how to comfort his worried son immediately after snapping at him.

“She will be alright, I will make sure of it. Keep trying your best so she doesn’t need to worry. I’ll have Nathalie print out sheet music for some new pieces I would like you to learn tomorrow, continue practicing only the songs that you’ve been given, Adrien. It’s for your own good, I wouldn’t want you to develop any bad playing habits.”

And then he left. Adrien didn’t bother to continue practicing the songs his father wanted him to that day. It wasn’t like he would notice, anyway. Instead, he just sat silently at his piano, listening to the rain patter against the windows as a piece of his heart withered away.


	3. Chapter 3

His mother wasn’t alright. One day she had been there, sickly and bedridden but still there, and the next she just… wasn’t. Adrien wasn’t completely sure if her worsening illness had anything to do with her sudden disappearance, but she had been so frail when he had last seen her that a dark, hopeless part of his brain suspected that she may have just passed quietly in her sleep and his father just hid her away, refusing to accept it.

Yet, still, the man would ominously claim that he would bring her back to them, that it was only a matter of time. Either she had truly gone missing or… his father’s mental health was seriously deteriorating. 

Amelie had stopped by about a month and a half after Emile disappeared, claiming a need for a family meeting. Adrien couldn’t have agreed more. The one thing he wanted the most right now was just someone to talk to. He had thought his father would’ve felt the same way, but his grief seemed to be taking an entirely different form. He seemed even more intensely serious and busy than usual, to the point where he was almost completely unreachable in the time that Adrien needed him most.

She didn’t bring Felix, as he had hoped. Felix had lost his father, too, so maybe he would have understood. Seeing his aunt was a comfort on it's own, however, and when she wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders and he breathed in the smell of her shampoo (the same brand his mother uses, used), he felt a warm nostalgic love start to bloom in his grieving heart.  
She asked him how he was doing, and he was genuinely ready to break down right there. His chest ached and he felt the urge to start sobbing openly, barely able to keep the tears from leaking out on their own. He would have given anything to just hold his aunt as tightly as he could as he spilled out all of the intense loneliness and grief that had been plaguing him, but he never got the chance.

“Adrien had been doing surprisingly well, given the situation. There is no need for him, or any of us to worry, as I plan on doing everything in my power to bring my dear Emile back to us safe and sound. Isn’t that right, Adrien?”  
That’s wrong, he thought, there are some things that money can’t buy, father.  
“...Yeah, that’s right…” He said, meekly bottling himself away, and Amelie was none the wiser.

By month three, he was suffocating. Just the act of existing felt like he was drowning in a cold, dark gray sea of grief. She wasn’t coming back. A small part of his brain had known from the day she went missing. He had tried his hardest to stifle it, but there was no denying the hard, cold reality that was smacking him in the face. Part of him wanted to know what happened, part of him knew he was better off never knowing, and all of him ached for her so badly that it was almost an unbearable physical sensation. 

Anyone to share his inner thoughts with would have been fine, anyone. He had even been trying to make conversation with the Gorilla lately, and though he always seemed to be listening, he never responded, so Adrien couldn’t know for sure, and the whole process did nothing in the end but make him feel even lonelier.

He had been missing Chloe as well, terribly so. He hadn’t seen her since before his mom went away forever, and though she wasn’t the most empathetic person, she was one of the only friends he had. At this point, he would’ve done anything just to spend a day hanging out with her, even if he had to spend it watching makeup tutorials, or one of those shallow romantic comedies that she seemed to enjoy.

Bringing this up to his father did nothing more than ruin the rare dinner that they were having together. Absolutely not, he had said, there was no way Adrien was leaving the mansion if he was not going to be watched by either Nathalie or his bodyguard at all times. 

Adrien didn’t know how to react to that. Was he some kind of prisoner now? Why was his father doing this?

He looked to Nathalie pleadingly, as he used to do with his mom when Gabriel was having one of his moments, hoping that she might realize how ridiculous this was and try to talk some sense into his father. He should have known better. She stood there silently, looking a bit like a guilty dog, as Gabriel continued his tirade and then stormed away to his study.

As Adrien lay in bed lamenting his terrible day, he heard a soft knock on the door. Nathalie.

“Come in,” He said in a more huffy way than he meant to, but didn’t apologize. He just wanted to be alone right now.

Nathalie stood there silently for a few moments, as if thinking over what she was going to say in her head. The silence was dragging on for far too long, and Adrien was just about to irritably ask what she came in for when she finally spoke.

“I’m… sorry, Adrien. Your father is a bit more on edge than usual. It isn’t that he wants you to be lonely, he just doesn’t… want anything to happen to you.”

Adrien blinked. That wasn’t what he was expecting her to say at all. “What… um, what is he afraid is going to happen if I leave?”

Nathalie let out a conflicted sigh , sitting herself down on the edge of his bed. “Adrien he… he’s a bit irrational right now. It may not seem like it but he loves you very much, he would do anything to make sure you are as safe and successful as you can be… but, he’s afraid. I don’t think anything would happen to you if you went to Chloe’s, Adrien, but your father cannot bear the thought of losing you too. Please, just give him some time.”

“O-Okay, Nathalie…” To hear her speak so candidly about such an emotional topic caught him off guard, and the two sat in silence for a few moments as Adrien’s increasingly drowsy brain absorbed the contents of the conversation they had been having.

“Do you… resent him?” Adrien’s eyes widened as Nathalie broke the silence. That wasn’t the sort of thing that Nathalie asked. 

“Do I… what? Of course I don’t, it isn’t his fault. People grieve differently, I know that, Nathalie.”

“That’s not what I… It’s just that...” Nathalie blanched suddenly, like she realized she was saying something she wasn’t supposed to have said, and cleared her throat rather aggressively. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, in any case.” She hesitantly grabbed the edge of his duvet before pulling it up to his neck and neatly tucking it beneath his pillows, something she hadn’t done since he was small. It was too tight, and a bit too warm, but in this moment, Adrien couldn’t have felt more comfortable.

“Good night Adrien. I’m… I’m not the best at these sorts of things, but if you need someone here, and I’m not too busy of course, well…”

Adrien smiled at her gently, though he was chuckling internally. Was his father’s cold, stone-faced assistant really getting flustered right now? And even stammering a little bit? 

“Thanks, Nathalie… good night. Will you… um, talk to dad about me going to school maybe?”

Nathalie gave him a ghost of a smile as she flipped the light switch. “I’ll see what I can do.”

With a familial feeling running through his veins that he hadn’t felt since his mother’s disappearance, he fell into the best night’s sleep that he’d had in months.


	4. Chapter 4

Nathalie did ask his father about school. He said no, of course, and had been somewhat mad at both of them for asking, but the fact remained that she had still asked him, and even though she was back to being the same cold, unfeeling woman she had always been, Adrien couldn’t help but feel a bit closer to her than he had in the past.

With not much else to do, Adrien threw himself into his activities, feeling genuinely motivated for the first time since he lost his mother. He was giving his all in everything he did, and people were starting to notice. His photographer was constantly praising his modelling abilities, cutting his photoshoots shorter when he was able to get good shots on his first try. No complaints from Adrien there. Nathalie and even his father had seemed pleased with his increasingly technical but less emotional piano performances lately. However, he wasn’t feeling joy from the songs he was playing anymore, other than a hollow sense of accomplishment from being able to master another song. 

That seemed to be a theme in his life now, doing things just to do them, just to feel like he’s doing something. Sometimes, it almost felt like he was waiting for something else to happen, though he didn’t know what, just biding his time until something came and whisked him away from his gilded cage. Or until he turned eighteen, he supposed, and could finally leave this hell of his father’s creation and began to live a real life, with real friends.

There was one thing he still looked forward to, however, and that was fencing. He had always enjoyed fencing, but now he was really growing a passion for it, and it was beginning to show in his performance. When even the older kids in his class started to lose to him consistently, D’Argencourt suggested that he represent them in an important upcoming tournament.  
Adrien was ecstatic, and for once his father actually seemed happy for him. “Imagine what it would do for the Agreste image if you were to start bringing home first place medals in these kinds of sporting events, Adrien,” He had said with what could possibly have been considered a smile if you looked at it from the right angle.

Adrien thought first place seemed like a bit of a tall order, and as it turned out, it was. The final fight had been long and grueling, but Adrien knew when he had lost. The guy was a couple of years older than Adrien and a natural talent. It was his last tournament in that age group, and Adrien thought it was pretty fitting for him to have taken the gold medal. Adrien could try again next year, there was nothing wrong with silver.

Or so he thought. His father did not seem to agree, and in the climax of the most intense shouting match the two of them had ever had, he grabbed the medal from Adrien, opened the window, and tossed it out. 

Sickened with rage, Adrien stormed into his bathroom and locked the door behind him. He sat on the floor for what felt like hours, rocking back and forth in anger, unsure whether he wanted to scream or cry. He replayed the argument over and over again in his mind, coming up with all sorts of snide comments and vicious comebacks that he only wished he had the guts to say.  
Why didn’t his father ever let him keep any of his accomplishments for himself? Did he not want him to be happy? Why did his father just want everybody else to be as miserable as he was all the time?

It took a lot of deep breathing and a cold shower before Adrien felt calm enough to go back outside. His father had left, of course, and the sun had set, leaving the city lit only by streetlights and the moon. 

He was wistfully looking outside when a glimmer of silver in a bush below his windows caught his eye. His medal! He wanted to go and get it now, right now. He was worried that if he left it until morning, his father or one of the maids would find it and dispose of it for good. But how could he get to it? It was late, late enough that no one was likely to bother him again tonight, but if he were to try to leave his room it was possible that he would run into Nathalie or the Gorilla and have to explain where he was going. 

He looked out the window again. 

About five feet beneath it was a short ledge, with another about the same distance below that. He could follow it along to get to a lower portion of the roof, which he could walk across and carefully ease himself onto a nearby tree. Climbing down its trunk would put him at ground level, where he could walk over to the bush he had seen before and retrieve the medal.  
Ok, out the window it was, then.

After he had secured his prize, red in the face from exertion and still shaking with adrenaline, he looked back up and the window he had descended from. He hadn’t thought about how he was getting back up. The climb down had been dangerous on its own, and while Adrien was no weakling, he didn’t think he had the upper arm strength to scale a building.  
Not to mention that the fence in front of him was looking like a much easier climb, and to a boy who was locked inside all the time on a clear beautiful night like this, a walk through the city seemed like too great of an opportunity to pass up.

He took a slow deep breath of the night air as he steadied himself at the bottom of the other side of the fence. He was free at last, and an overwhelming part of him wanted to take his little silver medal and just run off into the night and never come back.  
He couldn’t do that, of course he couldn’t, he and his father may not have seen eye to eye but he could never abandon him after losing his mother in such a tragic way. But as far as following his orders? All bets were off tonight.

It’s not that Adrien intended to get into trouble or anything, but he wouldn’t even spare another thought on his dad tonight, not when there were so many new things that he could be doing.  
He walked and walked and walked, not caring where he was going or how exhausted he was starting to become. He soaked in every new sight like a sponge, hating the thought of returning to the mansion more and more with every moment.  
For once in his life, he felt like his own man, rather than just the model son of a famous fashion designer. For tonight only, he was free to walk around wherever he wanted to, no Nathalie, no Gorilla, and none of his father’s shadow looming over him at all times. He may not have been doing much more than walking, but he was loving every second of it.

At some point he came across a small footbridge, in the middle of which was a lone ice cream cart. That was Andre, he recalled. His mother had bought the two of them ice cream there before when they had a day out together. It had been a sweltering summer day, and his mother's scoop of pistachio ice cream had slid onto the ground the moment she stood up with an unceremonious plop. The two of them laughed and laughed, unconcerned with things like family image or gold medals.

“Well, if it isn’t the Agreste boy, out for a stroll! Care for some ice cream?”

“Sorry, sir, I didn’t bring my wallet…”

“Have it on the house, I was just about to close up anyway!”  
Adrien had almost forgotten how kind other people could be. He brought his mint ice cream to an empty park nearby and slowly lapped it up as he watched the stars, feeling more at peace than he ever did inside his own home.

After he had finished off the last few bites of his cone, he laid back on the bench. It was a dangerous game he was playing, he had already been tired when he left the mansion, but the combination of the climb, all of the walking, and having just eaten was catastrophic. His heavy eyes slipped shut as he fell asleep on the park bench, lulled by the warm night air.

He had the pleasure of a jarring wake up call the next morning as Officer Roger shook him violently with his very sweaty palms. “Guys! I found the Agreste boy!” He yelled to an officer behind him, who immediately made a phone call. “Son, are you alright?”

Adrien groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I just… Oh no, what time is it?”  
“Should be about 10:00 by now. Son, you should really tell your parents if you’re planning on going out, we can’t be wasting police time with calls like this!”  
That’s what the man had said, but Adrien noticed that he looked clearly relieved to have found him safe and sound. He hated that he was causing trouble for people, why was that all he ever seemed to be able to do?

The Gorilla pulled up and ushered him frantically into his silver sedan, looking frazzled, like he’d been running around for hours. Adrien might have felt guilty, but those feelings were overshadowed by the increasing dread he was feeling. His father was going to be furious, for sure. He was going to get the scolding of his life, then he was going under lockdown, probably until he turned eighteen. 

At least he had gotten his medal back, nestled safely beneath his shirt. He would have to hide it from now on. 

When they returned to the mansion, Gabriel was waiting there for him, just as he thought he would be. However, instead of immediately launching into a tirade as Adrien had expected him to, he wrapped his slender arms around his son in a warm embrace.

“Adrien, please, you can’t do this sort of thing, I- I don’t know what I would do if I lost you too…”  
Adrien was comforted by a deep inhale of his father’s expensive cologne as the man held him tightly in his strong embrace, feeling for once like he had a real father.  
“Ok, dad,” He whispered quietly into his vest, “I won’t do it again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to post the final chapter soon, please don't be afraid to leave a comment if you see any grammar mistakes or inconsistencies, I was really itching to post this so it isn't beta'd very thoroughly, lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets some proper encouragement from his Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed the story so far, here's the final chapter :)  
> It's a relatively happy one, this time

His father finally caving on him going to school had been a great triumph, but even greater was his new secret identity as a protector of Paris. He had never fashioned himself as a hero in real life. How could he, you can’t really help anyone when you spend all of your life either stuck in your room or being corralled around by your father’s assistant. However, he couldn’t deny that he had always had a sort of fascination with being able to help others. He was the type to often complete every side quest in a video game, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being needed, even in a virtual realm. So when he was suddenly given the chance to be a hero in real life, it made his heart swell in a way it hadn’t in quite some time.

But a superhero? A superhero? It was really quite ridiculous if he thought about it, even without getting into the whole “magical destruction powers and tiny cat genie” thing. He had always secretly hoped he would get his big break soon (something that many people would say he had already gotten, being rich and famous at 14, people who could never understand), but to get it in the form of a superpower was something he would never even have considered.

And then there was Ladybug. 

With her sleek spandex suit (which wrapped around her feminine body in a way that was candy to his eyes) and her soft, shiny midnight pigtails that bounced around as she effortlessly scaled the buildings of Paris with her little yo-yo, Adrien had been smitten almost immediately.  
He had barely considered love before this. Sure, Chloe had an obvious thing for him (which he absolutely did not reciprocate, as much as he adored her), and being at the age he was he had some… desires, but as far as girlfriends and crushes went? 

That was something for when he was no longer so tightly held in his father's grasp. He figured that one stern look from his overbearing father would have sent most girls running, anyway.  
But not Ladybug. She was strong, stronger than him, and most importantly, stronger than his father. When his father chided him or came up with some new, unfair rule, he loved to fantasize about her swinging in through the window and giving him a piece of her mind. Nothing more than a harmless fantasy, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel that her strength was rubbing off on him, making him more hopeful and more immune to his father's brand of negativity. If only she returned his feelings, the two of them could be unstoppable

Just today, he and his father had gotten into a bit of a tiff. Adrien's photographer had claimed that he had failed to get a decent shot at today's photoshoot, claiming the teen looked "distracted". 

His father was furious, unjustifiably so, claiming the "importance of the spring collection" and that people wouldn't want to wear clothing that even the model looked uncomfortable in. The way he went on about it, you would've thought his whole brand was at stake.  
It was the sort of thing that would've made a younger Adrien sulk up to his room and cry silently into his pillow, feeling like a worthless failure. But this Adrien was waiting for the tirade to be over, entertaining himself by trying to imagine what face his father would make if Ladybug swung in through the window right now and clocked him in the head with her yo-yo.

After all, he didn't really have time for this. His lady was at the Eiffel Tower right now, waiting for her kitty to come and keep her company. How romantic.  
Well, it was just for patrol, but he liked to think so, anyway.  
His father finally finished his rant, he, thankfully, didn't wait for his son to respond, simply storming off to do… whatever it was that he always did when he was "busy", his faithful assistant regarding Adrien with a silent nod before following close behind.

Adrien sprinted up the stairs, not caring if he looked every bit as excited as he felt. As he shut the door behind him, his Kwami zipped out from under his shirt, immediately launching into a rant of his own.

"What's his problem? I'd like to see him sit through one of those boring photo shoots you always do without looking 'distracted'... Why do you humans care so much about clothing, anyway? You should just go naked like us Kwamis do, it's totally liberating!"

"Uh, because we don't live in the tropics, and I don't like being cold? And, correction, not all humans care about clothes, Plagg. As for me, there's only one suit I need. Plagg, claws out!"

Adrien (Chat Noir, now) had not been expecting an akuma alert so soon after meeting up with his lady. She had chided him a bit for being so late (in a playful way that didn't make him feel like he had really done anything wrong but also made him want to come early next time), and almost immediately afterwards her communicator had lit up with a warning that there was an akuma headed for the hotel. Chloe really had a talent for indirectly creating new akumas for them to fight, it seemed. 

He was disappointed that he hadn't gotten a chance to have a nice, long chat with his lady, but he couldn't complain. This was his element after all, much more so than modelling. An akuma meant another chance for him to show off Chat Noir's charming purr-sonality, and he was not going to miss a single chance for a sharp quip or a cat pun today.

The akuma (a chef at a local Michelin star restaurant whose scallops Chloe had made a point to take one bite of and spit into a napkin) turned out to be a bit more of a problem than they had expected, and Chat's confidence started to wane when Ladybug suggested that they split up, saying she would use her lucky charm (a parsnip, the last ingredient he needed for his very explosive soup) to lure him into a trap that Chat would create, without specifying what that exact trap would be.

"You're sending me off without a plan? You've got to be 'kitten' me, milady! I know he's being a bit of a handful, or should I say a 'mouthful', right now, but I think we both know that you are the brains of this operation. Planning isn't really this cat's thing."

Ladybug sighed gently. "Oh, kitty, you're nervous, aren't you? I really am sorry I can't help you figure it out, but I have to go now or he'll find us first, and all of this will have been for nothing."

Chat flushed red and started stammering. He'd wanted to still seem confident, too, maybe even a bit indignant. Nothing got past his lady. "Well I mean, it's just, what should the trap even be? I'm not good at coming up with stuff on the fly like you can, milady… What if I can't get something together before you bring him back?"  
He was sounding like plain old Adrien now, and he hated it.

She laid her spandex covered fingers on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. "Chat, I know this seems difficult, but I trust you! You are far more smart and capable on your own than you give yourself credit for, okay? Remain vigilant, observe your surroundings closely, and focus on being the best version of yourself that you can be right now and I truly believe that a good plan will come to you! Now, I've got an akuma to chase after! Let's see if I can make my own plan work."

With that, she swung away on her yo-yo, lucky charm in tow, not even giving Chat a chance to respond to her heartfelt words. He knew he should get going himself, but his heart felt warm and full, expanding in his chest and locking his legs in place as he replayed her words in his mind. Trust? She… trusted him? It occurred to him that maybe she truly believed he was capable on his own, and that was enough to make his self-worth skyrocket. Finally, for the first time since his mother had left his life forever, there was someone who was willing to set him free and let him figure things out on his own, who believed in him.

"The best version of myself…" It wasn't the first time he had heard that, it was a claim his father often used to try and assure Adrien that anything he ordered him to do was key for his future success. But this was different, and for the first time, Adrien seriously contemplated those words. The best version of himself… but who was he? Was he Adrien Agreste, the son of famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste and a teen heartthrob? Was he Chat Noir, A protector of Paris and Ladybug's wise-cracking partner? Or was he something in between? 

He had never been good with deep philosophical questions, anyway. The only thing he knew for sure about himself was that as long as his Ladybug was fighting by his side, he was truly the person he was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story, hopefully it doesn't seem too rushed  
> Please leave some feedback if you liked it. Or if you hated it, idc, just wanna know what you guys thought of it 
> 
> I hope to put some more stories up soon, I intend to make Adrien go through plenty more shit lol


End file.
